Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series

by David Pietrusza

  Unlike, A. R., Attell followed baseball rabidly. "I was a great fan, a close friend of John McGraw's," he told columnist Hy Gardner in 1961. "Every once in a while Mac would let me work out with the Giants in a morning practice session. One morning I brought along another fighter named Harlem Tommy Murphy. Mac throws a glove at Murph and says, `Okeh chum play right field for a while.' Murphy doesn't budge. `Mr. McGraw,' he says, `I don't know where right field is, this is the first time I ever played at the Polo Grounds.' "

  A. R. was not a baseball fan in the conventional sense of the word. He attended games and cared about their outcome, but only from his usual pecuniary standpoint. "It was in this period ... that I first saw him betting on baseball games," Carolyn Rothstein would later write. "We had a box during the [1912] World Series between the Giants and the Red Sox, but Arnold never sat in the box. He got no pleasure from watching horses run, or from Christy Mathewson striking out a batter at a critical moment. All he cared for, then and always, was the betting percentage.

  "Arnold was in a fever of work to make money on this knowledge of percentages. He got no thrill from close contests. Sport was merely a means of financial juggling to him. While my friends and I sat in the box and enjoyed the game, he visited other boxes looking for bets." (Rothstein, p. 41)

  156 Burns hotel room meeting: The Attell-Burns meeting could not have transpired earlier than September 27 or later than September 29. Before that the Giants were on the road. Afterward they left New York for an exhibition series. Most likely, the Burns-Chase meeting at the Polo Grounds occurred on September 27; Attell's on September 28; and the Astoria Hotel conference (i.e., Attell entering the fix) on September 29. All this means that Attell became active in the fix very late.

  156 "Q-When was the ... for the betting.": NY World (thrice-a-week edition), 29 September 1920, pp. 1-2; Chi. Tribune, 22 July 1921, pp. 1,8; NY Times, 22 July 1921, pp. 1,4; NY Times, 19 July 1921, p. 15, NY Times, 20 July 1921, pp. 1,3, NY Times, 21 July 1921, pp. 1-9; NY Times, 22 July 1921, pp. 1-4; Asinof, pp. 179-80; Ginsburg, p. 136. Giants pitcher Rube Benton claimed Burns later wired both Dubuc and Chase regarding the fix. Dubuc admitted receiving wires from Sleepy Bill, advising Dubuc "to get down all I could beg, borrow and steal on Cincinnati." Benton denied allegations of having won $3,800 on the Series, but alleged that Chase won $40,000. Braves pitchers Arthur Wilson and Norman Boeckel had knowledge of all this directly from Benton.

  157 "He [Attell] had ... bills wagered.": Katcher, p. 143.

  157 "I was ... unbelievably wrong.": Sports Illustrated, 17 September 1956, p. 69.

  159 Zork, Levi Brothers: Zork, sometimes described as a St. Louis shirt manufacturer, but actually a professional gambler, was implicated in Attell's throwing a fight in 1912. Ben Franklin gave his occupation as mule dealer. Redmon, who managed a theater in East St. Louis, denied being a professional gambler but admitted to betting on baseball on a daily basis. Two other St. Louis gamblers, Joe Pesch-fixer of regular season White Sox games-and Harry Redmon, operator of East St. Louis' Majestic Theatre, escaped indictment.

  159 Kid Becker. Chi. Herald-Examiner, 29 July 1921, p. 3. During the Black Sox trial, the prosecution briefly raised Becker's name, referring to him as the "gambling king of St. Louis" and asked a character witness for Carl Zork if Zork had said "anything about him and Becker corrupting ball players and fixing games all season [the 1919 season]." He answered no-truthfully. Becker died before opening day.

  159 Becker, 1918 Series: In 1929 Ban Johnson wrote this about the events of 1919: "the thought that a World Series could be fixed did not seriously enter into the minds of any official or fan. The failure of the St. Louis gambler [Becker] to get anywhere with the `framing' of the series the year before indicated that it would be impossible for conspirators ever to handle enough money to make buying the players worthwhile. Thus our guard was down when the blow fell." (Murdock, p. 188)

  159 Hal Chase: Among the bats, balls, gloves, spikes, and flannels at Cooperstown's Baseball Hall of Fame is an otherwise innocent-looking document foreshadowing sports' biggest scandal. It's a 1912 masterpiece of gold and crimson calligraphy, a huge ornate parchment honoring former Chicago Cubs manager and first baseman Frank "The Peerless Leader" Chance on the occasion of his assuming the managership of the hitherto-hapless New York Highlanders.

  :A dazzling mixture (the "undersigned baseball fans of the greatest city in the United States") of New York politicians, show people, and sportsmen had affixed their greetings: former-president Theodore Roosevelt, former world heavyweight champion James J. Corbett, Mayor Gaynor, former Tammany boss Croker, baseball owners James E. Gaffney, Charles Taft (brother of William Howard Taft), and Big Bill Devery, plus a raft of Broadway icons: Al Jolson, David Belasco, DeWolf Hopper, Harry Frazee, Florenz Ziegfeld, Honey Boy Evans, and George M. Cohan.

  And Arnold Rothstein. (Thorn, Treasures of the Baseball Hall of Fame, p. 46)

  159 Becker's death: The son of a St. Louis saloonkeeper, Kid Becker ran away from home at age ten. He lived virtually his whole life as a gambler, and after being wiped out in an East St. Louis card game at age thirty, quickly recuperated to become St. Louis's premier gambler and prince of its underworld. He reportedly did a million dollars worth of business per year and left a $200,000 estate. Big money in its day-but not enough to fix a World Series.

  160 Dandolis: Chi. Herald-Examiner, 6 October 1920, pp. 1-2; Boston Post, 2 October 1920, p. 8; Asinof, p. 39; Rothstein, p. 107-08; NY Times, 7 October 1920, p. 4; Clarke, p. 301. Some said Dandolis won $100,000 on the Series. Nick claimed he bet only $8,000 on the Series-$6,000 on the Sox and $2,000 on the Reds.

  160 "saying [he] ... make bets.": Katcher, p. 143; Asinof, pp. 296-297.

  160 Asinof, pp. 87-90; Frommer, p. 153; Fowler (The Great Mouthpiece), p. 275; Luhrs, pp. 144-45. Again, a few days before the Series began, Attell was dead broke. Now he oversaw a clique of gamblers betting thousands of dollars. Where did he get the money?-partly from the St. Louis crowd (and most likely that was largely A. R.'s money) and partly the $20,000 A. R. wired him.

  162-63"You two ..." ... "... beaten cur.": Spink, p. 59; Allen (The Baseball Story), pp. 218-19; Veeck and Linn, p. 258; Asinof, p. 82-86; Leib (Baseball As I Have Known It), pp. 118-19. In his authoritative Baseball: The Golden Age (p. 299 fn), Harold Seymour casts doubt on this story.

  163 "Cohan laughed ... frame-up.": Sport, October 1959, p. 101; Sports Illustrated, 17 September 1956, p. 64; Frommer, p. 116.

  During the Black Sox trial Cohan refused to testify (Chi. Herald-Examiner, 27 July 1921, p. 1).

  163 "about to be taken.": "Hy Gardner Calling" column, 29 September 1961.

  163 "Everyone ... fixed it,": Katcher, p. 147-48.

  163 Johnny Fay: Betts, p. 228.

  164 "I never saw ..." ... "need them for!": According to Henry Ford's Dearborn Independent, Zelser (actual name Zelcer; it was misspelled in his indictment) was related by marriage to the Levi brothers. (http://www.noontidepress.com/books/ford/ij45.html). The Levis operated out of Des Moines, Kokomo, and San Francisco. The Levis and Zelser, whose mother's name was "Rachael," were ironically all "ardent White Sox fans." During the Black Sox trial Zelser was so confident of his acquittal he offered to bet $100 to $25 on it. (July 21, 2003 interview with Ralph J. Christian).

  164 "That's not ..." ... "that way.": Asinof, pp. 90, 101-03, 283; Frommer, pp. 135-36; Fowler (The Great Mouthpiece), p. 275-76; Sheed, p. 148.

  165 "If you see ... Abe broke.": Chi. American, 22 July 1921, p. 4.

  165 "And they will . . . "; "the next game.": Asinof, pp. 110-12, 283-84; Frommer, p. 136.

  166 Game Three nervousness: Chi. American, 22 July 1921, p. 4.

  166 Manlis, $20,000 payment: Ginsburg, pp. 121-22; Asinof, pp. 112-15; Luhrs, pp. 66-75. In Chick Gandil's version of events, Weaver remained aloof from the fix only because he, like Cicotte, demanded cash up front. (Sports Illustrated, 17 September 1956, p. 64)

  166 Games Four and Five: Luhrs, pp. 282-88; Asin
of, pp. 117-21.

  167 "Had any gamblers ..." ... "... what hit him.": Reichler, p. 144; Ritter (The Glory of Their Times), pp. 202-03.

  168 "the biggest ... ever saw.": Asinof, pp. 127-35; Ginsburg, pp. 123-24; Luhrs, pp. 75-78; Leib (Baseball As I Have Known It), p. 123; Seymour, p. 304 fn.

  168 "Everything is ... first inning.": Leib (Baseball As I Have Known It), p. 121.

  Chapter 12: "I Wasn't In On It"

  169 "Tennes did ... that amount.": Chi. Herald-Examiner, 26 September 1920, p. 2. Adding credibility to Weeghman's account is his emphasis on third baseman Buck Weaver's noninvolvement. When Weeghman made his claims in September 1920, Weaver was already being implicated, and if Weeghman was merely repeating what he heard rumored he would have included Weaver's name.

  169 $20,000 reward: Chi. Daily News, 27 October 1920, p. 1; NY Telegraph, 27 October 1920, pp. 1, 16; NY World, 25 October 1920, p. 4; NY World, 27 October 1920, p. 19; Seymour, p. 295; Asinof, p. 130. Joe Jackson tried to see Comiskey after the Series ended, supposedly to inform him of the fix. Either fearing what Jackson had to say-or too disgusted by Jackson's recent betrayal-Comiskey refused to see him.

  170 "There is ... at fights": NY World, 15 December 1919, p. 1; NY World, 17 December 1919, pp. 1, 22; Asinof, pp. 137-38; http://www.blueear.com/ archives/issue_8/apocalypse.txt. In his 1947 study Baseball (p. 233), Robert Smith alleges that "Fullerton refus[ed] to be still-even when Arnold Rothstein ... threatened to turn his strong-arm minions upon the writer . . ." The author has been unable to find another source for this allegation.

  171 "Because a ... play straight.": Ginsburg, p. 132; Asinof, p. 152; Frommer, pp. 118-19. This diatribe is usually attributed to Sporting News publisher J. G. Taylor Spink. Spink, however, placed the blame on Obenshain. (Spink, p. 60)

  In August 1918 the Sporting News, writing about rumors of Hal Chase's game-fixing, launched a similar tirade against "the pasty-faced and clammyfingered gentry with the hooked noses." The "pasty-faced" comment neatly describes the invariably pallid Rothstein. (Kohout, pp. 196-98)

  The Sporting News wasn't alone in linking the scandal to Jewish interests. Henry Ford's anti-Semitic national newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, devoted considerable space to the topic, alleging: "Heavy Jewish betting, the bribing of players, the buying of clubs, the cheating of the public, has been proved time and again in American courts. All along the line of investigation into sporting scandals the names of Jews are plentifully sprinkled."

  "If `fans' wish to know the trouble with American baseball, they have it in three words-too much Jew. `Gentile fronts' may rant out their parrot-like pro-Jewish propaganda, the fact is that a sport is clean and helpful until it begins to attract Jewish investors and exploiters and then it goes bad. The two facts have occurred in pairs too frequently in America and under too many dissimilar circumstances to have their relationship doubted. There are no variations on the Jewish corruption of American sports, principally baseball, racing, boxing and wrestling. In the fixing of results, the swindling of gamblers, the staging of frauds, the rottenness has been discovered between the Jewish investors and the venal contestants....

  "Years before the public scandals broke, the Jew had crowded into all the lucrative sports; he remains in control of them, but only on the commercial side, seldom if ever in sympathy with sport as a real sportsman. The Jews are not even real gamblers, they are not sportsmen enough to gamble; they are the `sure-thing' men. The `Gentile boobs' who walk into their traps are the people who provide the money. Even in the field of money the Jew is not a sport-he is a gangster, ringing a gang of his ilk round him." (http://www.noontidepress.com/books/ford/ij45.html)

  171 "Come up ..." ... "... he promised.": Sports Illustrated, 17 September 1956, p. 70.

  172 Tennes: Restaurant magnate "Lucky Charlie" Weeghman had lost money steadily in the last few years, investing heavily not only in the defunct Federal League Whales (on whose new ballpark, now known as Wrigley Field, he spent $250,000;) and the Cubs but also in films. In 1920 he and his first wife divorced. In August 1920 Weeghman filed for involuntary bankruptcy.

  172 Benton: Seymour, p. 300; Asinof, p. 177.

  172 McGraw, O'Farrell: Chi. Daily News, 6 October 1920, p. 3; Chi. Daily Journal, 6 October 1920, p. 10; Luhrs, pp. 130-31. "Orbie" may have been with Rothstein and O'Farrell in the Astor lobby. In another interview O'Farrell noted that "a Long Island gambler well known on Broadway" had been on the scene. (NY Times, 6 October 1920, p. 3)

  173 "You can ... " ... "... sky high.": Asinof, p. 184; NY Tribune, 23 July 1921, p. 5; The Rothsteins had moved back to West 84th Street from 120 West 70th Street sometime in 1920.

  174 "You can ............. up this way.": NY World, 29 September 1920, p. 2; NY Tribune, 29 September 1920, p. 1. Asinof tells a dramatic tale of an outraged bettor slugging Attell at Lindy's just before Abe granted this interview. Neither the World nor the Tribune articles carry a word of such incident.

  174 "the whole ... to name him.": Seymour, p. 308.

  174 "because of ... Swann.": Chi. Daily News, 6 October 1920, p. 3.

  175 "I never ... am drunk.": NY Telegraph, 25 September 1920, p. 1; NY Telegraph, 26 September 1920, p. 10; NY Telegraph, 29 October 1920, p. 1; NY Telegraph, 30 October 1920, p. 14; NY World, 25 September 1920, p. 3; NY World, 27 September 1920, p. 2; NY World, 28 September 1920, p. 1; Alexander (John McGraw), pp. 221-27,234. In April 1920 Fallon defended the real "Curley Joe Bennett" on white slavery charges. Assistant District Attorney Jim Smith alleged the case involved "several well known tenderloin gamblers." Smith also claimed to have received several threatening phone calls regarding the case, as well as a $3,500 bribe offer. Fallon got Bennett off. (Clarke, p. 168)

  175 "master mind": NY World, 30 September 1920, p. 1.

  176 "The men ... indictable offense.": NY Times, 2 October 1920, p. 14; NY Telegraph, 1 October 1920, p. 2.

  176-77"My friends ... is closed.": NY World (thrice-a-week edition), 1 October 1920, p. 1; NY Telegraph, 2 November 1920, p. 2. Rothstein then traveled to the Jamaica Race Track, where the Telegraph quoted him: "I have nothing to say. When the evidence is all sifted down to rockbottom you will find that I have had nothing whatsoever to do with this mess." He refused comment on his World interview.

  177 "He Goes ... habitual, expression.": NY Times, 2 October 1920, p. 14.

  178 "Rothstein turned ... his attorney.": NY Telegraph, 5 October 1920, p. 1.

  178 Nassau County investigation: NY World, 23 September 1920, pp. 3, 17; NY World, 30 September 1920, pp. 1, 2; NY World, 2 October 1920, p. 2; NY World, 4 October 1920, p. 3; NY World, 27 October 1920, pp.1, 2; NY Telegraph, 6 October 1920, p. 1. State Police raided Rothstein's Long Beach house in 1919, entering through an ornate front window. They found nothing incriminating. One of Nassau County's four other known gambling houses employed Wilson Mizner as manager. Another was owned by former Rothstein employee Colonel Lou Betts.

  178 Headin' Home: Boston Post, 2 October 1920, p. 8. Attell arranged with Tex Rickard to book the film for a week at Madison Square Garden. For prices ranging from 25 cents to $1.00, patrons could watch Headin' Home, hear the fifty-piece Black Devil Band, and see heavyweight champ Jack Dempsey in person.

  178 "One time," Carolyn Rothstein wrote, "Babe Ruth sent my husband a box of autographed baseballs. He couldn't have shown more joy over this gift if he had been a small boy. The great Babe Ruth had shown him a special courtesy. He was a Big Shot!" (Rothstein, p. 145)

  178-79 "I am in ..." ... "... slanderous accusations.": NY Telegraph, 10 October 1920, p. 1. This article referenced another attorney for Rothstein, a Meier Steinbrink. Steinbrink later won election to the State Supreme Court in 1932 and served as national chairman of B'nai B'rith from 1946 through 1952. (NY Times, 8 December 1967, p. 42)

  179-80 "I want you ..." ........ some more thinking.": NY Times, 2 August 1921, p. 24; Chi. American, 25 October 1920, p. 2; NY Telegraph, 27 October p. 16; Asinof, pp. 217-18, 290. Eight Men Out contends that Bill
Fallon accompanied A. R. to Chicago. The Chicago Tribune reported Rothstein was with another attorney named Turchin, most likely Hyman Turchin. Fallon, as the Associated Press reported, was actually in Boston with Sport Sullivan. According to Eight Men Out, Rothstein boldly informed Austrian that he wished to engage him. Asinof suggests Austrian agreed and also stated that an attorney representing Joe Jackson "knew that Austrian had represented Rothstein." In May 2002, however, an inquiry to Austrian's old law firm, drew this statement from partner Frank J. Mayer, Jr.: "Some years ago I reviewed our Black Sox file (which remains confidential), and our billing records going back to 1890 (also confidential). I can assure you that nothing I have seen or heard over my forty-plus years with this firm contains even the slightest hint that we represented Rothstein, Zork or Franklin. With respect to the 1919 scandal, our client was only Charles Comiskey." (Frank D. Mayer, Jr. to the author, May 23, 2002)

  181 Judge McDonald: NY World, 25 September 1920, pp. 1, 4. Johnson met Rothstein on September 24, just as the case broke.

  181 "[Cubs minority stockholder Albert] Lasker . . . National Commission.": Veeck and Linn, p. 289. Stoneham's warm relations with Rothstein continued long after A. R.'s implication in the Black Sox fix. In July 1921 Baseball Commissioner Landis reprimanded Stoneham publicly for having Rothstein as a guest in his Polo Grounds private box. Their shady Wall Street business partnerships lasted far longer than that. (See Chapter 19)

  182 "Gentlemen . . . surprised at you.": Fowler (The Great Mouthpiece), pp. 276-77; Asinof, pp. 245-46; Frommer, pp. 151-52; Seymour, p. 309.

  182 "Attell and Burns . . . to Cincinnati.": Chi. Daily journal, 27 October 1920, p. 1.

  182 Different stories: Chi. Herald-Examiner, 27 October 1920, p. 11.

  182-83"Attell did ... bill of health.": Chi. Daily News, 26 October 1920, p. 17; Katcher, pp. 144-45; Frommer, p. 135.

  183 "Pardon me," ... "... the Tribune.": Chi. Tribune, 27 October 1920, p. 17.

  183 "Attell approached ..." ... "... matter hereafter.": NY Telegraph, 27 October 1920, p. 1.